Alarm system



Patented July 30, 1946 A`l..IfNsjIT151D L-S TATiEtS EIN T LOF, FirIiCzE SYSTEM ;John;N. Hoekstra, Royalf.10ak,Mich.

ApplicationfSeptember 23, 19.44.SerialjBT05555532 Vi4 Claims.

"Ihis'inventionrrelates to alarm systems fthe Apurpose `being to providela new and improved means fortransmitting a message as by "mean-s of a telephone system in the case of-a re toi' instance.

Afeature of the invention resides in the'use These and iother Vobjects and features of the invention are hereinafter -more fully described and 'claimed and 4whichiis shown'in'the laccompanying `drawing in which- Fig. 1 is an illustrationpartly 0diagranimatie of the apparatusembodying myinvention.

Fig. l2-is a cross 'section Vthereof 0at the point of contacto'f the; needle "with the groove.

Fig. 3 is a `diagrammatic 4vien/'showing the reels ion which thetapeis Wound.

Fig. 4 is a similar View 'showing a somewhat 'different .arrangement `of parts Fig. 5 is. a diagram showingmeans fior .causing operation ofthe apparatus.

The apparatus is usable in buildings wheregres may occur andin the operation ofthe apparatus a spoken message'istransmitted'to the telephone station.,giving.the location of the fire.

'Inthe preferred arrangement of parts a strip I is formed with a longitudinal groove 2 and this portion of the strip is non-magnetic in character while the portion indicated at d and 5 is magnetic and the message is formed in the groove between these magnetic elements which serve to separate repeated messages, or to provide a time interval between differing messages.

The groove extending across the metallic elements as indicated at 2a is a straight line and the strip is suiciently long to permit repeated messages on the portion I at successive intervals and the direction of movement of the strip is indicated by the arrow in each of Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The apparatus consists of a permanent magnet 6 which may be mounted in any approved manner, as for instance by means of the arm 'I shown in Fig. 4, which is flexible in character. The weight of the magnet 6, as shown in Fig. 4, causes the saine to normally occupy a position out of Contact with the strip. The magnet however is suciently close to the strip to be attracted by the magnetic elements 4 and 5 and there may be one or more such strips and in fact may be of one piece of metal of the desired length. The magnet 6 has a stem 8 that normally extends iinto the lmercury Vin the --cup T9 and fthismercury Vcup -tormsipart `of "the 'electric circuit Iil whichincludes la lcoil I l Aon thestylus I2 which rides the groove. WhenithermagnetL/S fis attracted lby the metallic portions -`of the "strip the 'stem 8 is Amoved lout of contact with fthe mercury in "the cup 9 as is indicated in Fig. 13

which is the normal position of the parts.

InFig. 5 Ais shown va `means for 'closing the bellows element I3 and `a secondfbellows lelement I4 connected A4by a :tube I5. The bellows j'elegaseous or liquid and inthe event of rea Vweight IS is dropped which-compresses the bellows It?, and Mexpandsfthe bellows Id to 'Contact with one end ofthe 1everII,"tl'1e-opposite'end of whichis provided with aibrake 'shoe I3 normally held in surface contact with 'the Ksurface Ofthe Wound tape onthe-'spool :IS-and normally prevents-rotation ofthereel. The expansion of the'bellows member I4,releases thebrake carried on the 'end of thepivoted arm il, and as the bellowsi'ii is maintained in expanded condition operated. 'The supporting means 'for ithebellows membersmay be oif anyapproved -form` and' is not here shown.

While I have provided the strip I with grooves similar to that of a phonograph, the invention is not conned to such character of means for transmitting the message as it may consist of dots and dashes as in a telegraph system. Any type of message may be transmitted depending upon the character and requirement of any particular installation. The strip may be formed of a series of magnetic and non-magnetic elements so arranged as to transmit the desired information as by a dot and dash system used in telegraphy.

It will be noted that in Fig. 2 the strip I is supported by means of grooved wheels 2I and 22 as indicated in Fig. 24. These Wheels are to be understood as being rotatably mounted on a supporting element (not here shown) in a manner tending to prevent lateral displacement of the strip adjacent the point of contact of the stylus I2 with the groove. The grooved wheel 2| may be mounted in a stationary member 23 While the Wheel 22 may ride in a slot in the supporting member 24 and may be spring pressed to Contact with the one edge of the strip I as by means of the spring 25 connected with the spindle of the wheel 22 by a bar 26. This arrangement prevents lateral displacement of the strip I. It is movement of the stylus in the coil I2 that causes iluctuation in the electric circuit in which the wires l and Illa are connected indicated at Ila and IIb in Figs. 1 and 4 and thereby causes fluctuation in the said lines and thence to a receiver (not here shown).

It is to be understood that the speed of movement of the strip having the groove corresponding to the groove in a phonograph record should correspond to the speed of movement of the phonograph record. relative to the needle. The invention, however, is not confined to a groove similar to the phonograph groove as the groove may be so formed as to transmit a message similar to that of a telegraph recording tape.

It is believed evident from the foregoing description that the various features and objects of the invention are attained by the means herein disclosed. It is pointed out however that various changes may be made in the character and relationship of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

` Having thus briey described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

` 1. An` alarm system for automatically transmitting a message to a telegraph or telephone circuit, comprising a tape of thin material ormedof Va series of sections of a desired length separated bysections of magnetic material, means by which the tape may be moved comprising a spring motor including a wheel like portion on which the` `tape may be wound, a, brake means tending to .section causes a fluctuation in an electric circuit,

means actuated by said magnetic sections tending to break the circuit to the telephoneor telegraph system and providing an arrangement 4 whereby successive messages may be transmitted to a receiving station, means tending to normally maintain the motor reel stationary, and means whereby the reel may be released to rotation by the motor and thereby transmit the message to the telegraph or telephone circuit.

2. An alarm system comprising a tape formed of a thin strip of material formed of magnetic and non-magnetic sections, the nonemagnetic sections of the tape having `a'groove in its surface similar to the groove of a phonograph record,

` a stylus for engaging the groove, a pair of reels in spaced relation on which the tape is wound, one of the reels being rotatable as by means of a coiled spring to thereby move the tape Yacross the stylus, an electric system in which the stylus is connected to cause current iiuctuation therein due to vibration of the Stylus traversing the groove of the non-magnetic sections, and means including a magnet stationarily positioned adjacent the surface of the tape opposite that engaged by the stylus and adapted to break the circuit due to its being attracted by the magnetic portion of the tape. y

3. In an Valarm system, a tape formed of a thin strip of material having magnetic and, non-magnetic sections in alternate relation, the non-magnetic sections having va grooveA in the surface Vthereof similar to the groove in a phonograph record, and the magnetic sections having a groove therein on a straight line connecting with the respective. ends of the non-magnetic sections, and means whereby traverse of the groove by movement of the tape beneath the stylusV transmits successive messages to an electric circuit substantially as described. j

4. In an alarm system, a tape having a groove in the surface thereof, means for causing movement of the tape, `a stylus for riding the groove, an electric circuit in which the stylus is connected, a coil therein in which the stylus is posi- .tioned, the groove having successive `spaced portions thereof 'of such form as to cause variations in the position of the stylus in the coil to thereby cause fluctuation in the electric circuit and portions therebetween non-productive of current uctuation whereby a message may be transmitted to the circuit at successive time intervals.

JOHN N. HOEKSTRA. 

